Use your brooches.

Old brooches seem to be in everyones collections of jewellery or bits and pieces. I really love them and yet never really wore them. But I would admire them and love the colours and sparkle. I think often they are old and so first a good clean to bring them up to their sparkly best is the first thing to do.

After that there are so many options! But get them out and enjoy them. 

Smaller ones can be glued (with super glue) to hair clips or slides and used as amazing hair jewellery. In fact in a bun or twist the brooch mechanism is fine and will work in your hair. Oh so pretty!
Brooches can change the shape of a neckline. I have a squarish neckline on a top I don't like. I change it to a sweetheart neckline with a brooch and this made it wearable for me and lovely. Another top is a wrap style gathered on one side but it is too big for me. A large brooch secured to make that gather a bit tighter works a treat, the top fits and the brooch really adds to it (in the same colour pale blue).

I have tied a ribbon around a cake and pinned a brooch to the ribbon as a beautiful cake decoration. 

I have a star brooch I use on top of my Christmas tree every year.

Suddenly my eyes were open to the possibilities! 

Pinned to a lampshade...

Pinned to a gorgeous ribbon on top of a special present.

A beautiful brooch pinned to an evening bag can take it up a notch and be matched to your outfit.

Pinned to a hat they can be just gorgeous or a beret. This can be so lovely and unique.

They can be very practical and secure a scarf in place that will never stay where you want it!

I have some which were lovely yet broken or imperfect and I use them as fridge magnets. I just glued little magnets on the back with super glue. They look lovely on my fridge! 

Other ideas are gluing them to a photo frame as a feature or clipping to a stretchy headband. Or glued to a vase or a velvet ribbon or belt. Make a curtain tie back or pin to a curtain tie back. It just goes on and on!

If they are languishing they can have a new life and add to your wardrobe. Seriously my too big top with the gathered fabric and brooch on my hip just works and gives me an extra top I may have overlooked. 

I love it when we have things that can have a new use and gives us that "I have new stuff" feeling without costing a cent. As a pin can rescue all kinds of situations a brooch is just a really pretty pin and very handy.

The weekend is almost over! I have a crock pot full of beef and vegies which is just now starting to smell so good. I am planning to write a post on some crock pot basics that are such life savers. There is just nothing like dinner being ready at the end of the day and having to do nothing but serve it. Especially when we are tired, have babies, little kids or have been out all day. Such a life saver. So that is tomorrow!